Gently Growing
by Kailynn Sanchez
Summary: I set this fanfic in present-day suburbia, so that's why things don't seem so... Germany. I have pretty much the whole story planned out - and it's great: so says my friend who I brought it up to.
1. Chapter 1

**this is my first book theif fanfic, so the personalites might be a little off, but i've read the book twice - loved it.**

**anyway, the connection between liesel and rudy is there, and their love for running and competing against each other is also evident, so says my "imaginary" friend who's reading over my shoulder.**

**DISCLAIMER: i wish i did, that's all.**

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POV: Rudy

NOTE TO SELF: never, under _any_ circumstances, as Liesel out. Ever. Again. The results are disastrous.

"Liesel, why are you running?" I asked in a yell. "It was just a simple question!"

"God, Rudy! You're such an idiot!" She bent down, grabbed a handful of mud, and threw it at me.

Secretly, deep down, I enjoyed the fact that she was pissed at me. It made chasing her all that much more fun.

I tried to duck when the mud was flying towards me at light speed, but I didn't duck low enough and the wet dirt hit me in the face.

"That's what you get, _saukerl_!" she laughed, running off across the bridge that led to the park near our houses.

Being me, I kept up my chase after the only girl that I truly loved. I kept my eyes on her long legs and the blonde hair flying behind her.

"Liesel!" I yelled. "Wait up!"

"Oh, god! You must really want an answer, because you're giving up!" She kept running.

I started getting a cramp in my side, but I ran after the girl, like she was my life-line. "Come on! I seriously want to talk to you!"

She slowed to a stop and turned to look behind her. "What?"

I jogged up next to her and dropped my school bag by her feet. "Damn, you've gotten faster."

"Learn to love it, honey." She smacked my cheek gently and ran off again.

"I already love it," I murmured to myself. I slung my bag around my shoulder again and took off after her.

She reached out street first, legally, that is. I cut across a few lawns and was waiting on her doorstep when she got there.

"You _saukerl_." She bent over, hands on her knees, and panted.

"Back at you, _saumench_." I reached over and patted her shoulder. I really should've kissed her, but I didn't. That would've been too easy. I wanted that perfect first kiss to come when she really needed it, and when I needed it.

She ended up sitting next to me, head on my shoulder. "Do you have any water?"

I gasped dramatically. "_You_? Asked _me_ for water? Admit it, I'm better than you."

"You cheated," she growled.

"No, I just made my own rules. Get the facts straight."

"I ask again; do you have any water?"

"Yeah." I reached in my bag and pulled out a bottle of water, handing it to her.

She gulped half of it down in only a few seconds. "Here." She wiped her mouth where a few extra drops had escaped her lips.

I turned to put it back in my bag. "'Thank you, Rudy. Thank you for so kindly sacrificing your water even though my front door is two feet away. Thank you for not making me get my own water,'" I mocked. Yeah, that got me a smack in the face.

"_Saukerl_." She stood up and left me there, sitting on her doorstep.

**

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POV: Liesel

God, that Rudy. He's too cute for his own good.

"Liesel, is that you?" Mama called.

"Yes!"

"Is Rudy here?"

"No. He didn't deserve it."

She came around the corner, wiping her hands on her apron. "I thought you liked him."

"I do, but I don't know what he thinks about me. I don't want to try something and have it backfire."

"Liesel, you are, unofficially, a Hubermann. Hubermanns don't quit. Now you go right back out there and tell him that you love him."

"Mama!"

"I have a big, flat spoon in my pocket."

"Okay, okay!" I flung the front door open to see Rudy still sitting there.

He leaned backwards and looked at me upside-down. "Hello."

I sat next to him, looping my arm through his and joining our fingers together.

"What's this?" he asked, sitting up.

"Just go along with it," I whispered. "Mama's watching."

"Ah." He scooted over next to me, his arm around my waist. "What should I do? Kiss you?"

"As if!" I pushed him away lightly. "Pervert!"

Still aware of Mama's stare, I gave Rudy a peck on the cheek and disappeared into the house again.

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	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: sorry it's taken so long! graduation and the school dance has taken it out of me!**

**disclaimer: nothing has changed.**

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POV: Rudy

After Liesel disappeared for the second time, I got up and went home – right across the street. Living so close is what made me initially fall for her. I saw her all the time.

I mean… she was beautiful and she didn't even try! How could anyone _not_ fall for that? She was just naturally gorgeous.

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I waited outside her house the next morning so we would be able to walk to school together again. It was just another excuse for me to be near her.

"What do you want, _saukerl_?" Liesel asked as she stepped outside. "Are you stalking me now?"

"You wish. I was just waiting for you so we could walk to school together."

"For the third time this week?" she asked. "Your motives are clear, Rudy Steiner. Thank you, but I'm taking the bus."

"Then so am I."

"_Gottverdammt_! Leave me alone!"

"Now, Liesel, don't go cussing me out like that." I put my arm around her shoulders. "I might just have to kiss you."

She slipped out of my grasp. "For that, now I'm taking my car!"

"Can I get a ride with you?" I asked.

"I'm trying to get away from you, smart ass! No, you cannot have a ride!" With that, Liesel got into her small red car and drove off.

"She wants me," I murmured to myself before walking to the bus stop.

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The first class we had together was PE. It was the volleyball unit, and I was pretty good at it. But the real reason that I enjoyed it was being able to see Liesel in short-shorts and a skimpy tank-top.

"On court one," the PE coach said, "Teams two and four."

Team two – me, Max, Tommy, and Ludwig. Team four – Liesel, and three other girls whose names I never took the time to remember. Boys against girls. This is gonna be _easy_.

"You're going down, Steiner!" Liesel called right before she served it clean over the net.

They got the first point.

About ten minutes later, the score stood at 19 – 20, them. Game point. My serve.

The girl's team hit it back. Tommy volleyed it back with a nice dig. One of the girls hit it over just right, and I jumped up to spike it at the same time Liesel leapt to block it.

The ball bounced off my hand, then Liesel's. Guess what happened next.

Really, guess.

The ball hit me in the face.

And it hurt.

I fell down, the ball hitting the floor next to me, and letting the girls win. Dammit.

"Like I said," Liesel taunted, walking over by me to switch courts. "You went down."

**

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POV: Liesel

I have but three words to say to Rudy: In. Your. Face.

Literally!

After a nice cold shower in the locker room, I felt fresh again. Kicking Rudy's ass in volleyball, _twice_, just added to my good mood. And my team was barely trying, _honest_!

But god, the face he made when the ball hit him… it was priceless.

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My mood darkened when I walked into my last class, study hall. I saw Rudy sitting there, and was reminded that he was in that class, too. Dammit.

While I was using the free period for tonight's homework, I caught Rudy staring at me the whole time with his gorgeous blue eyes. We were in the library, and the tables were round, he had a perfect view of me. He flashed me a crooked smile.

I grabbed a piece of paper.

_What are you staring at, _saukerl_?_

I crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it at him. He looked at it, smiled, wrote and threw it back to me.

_What do you care, _saumench_? I'm writing my English essay and I need inspiration._

_You've been staring at me for forty-five minutes. I think you're trying to get inspiration from my boobs, which is perverted, by the way._

I threw the paper back.

"Liesel Meminger and Rudy Steiner, please see me after class," the teacher said, her grey eyes piercing us.

I shot-the-bird at Rudy from under the table.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry i haven't posted in forever! camp took it out of me and i was sleeping all day yesterday. anyway... here's chapter 3!**

**disclaimer: really?**

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POV: Rudy

Well, I got to see Liesel in detention. That's another red mark on my permanent record.

Liesel and I reported to the librarian's desk when the final bell rang. The girl's dark eyes looked worried even scared. For me, it was just routine brilliance.

"Rudy, Rudy, Rudy," the teacher sighed. "What has gotten into you lately?"

"It's my family. We've hit a rough patch with my mom losing her job and all," I lied. Again, I am brilliant.

"That gives you all the more reason to do well in school so you can get a _job_ and support your family." She turned to Liesel. "What has gotten into you, too?"

"No, I just…"

The teacher waited for a more elaborate response, but she didn't get one. "Either way, you two both have detention in 20 minutes."

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"Get a_way_ from me, _saukerl_!" Liesel yelled as she ran to her car.

"Please? I need a ride!"

"So? Get one yourself!"

"They don't give bus rides to detention dwellers!"

"Oh, boo-hoo!"

I caught up to her car right as she started to pull away. One of the back tires ran over my foot.

"OW! God dammit, Liesel!"

She stopped and got out of the car. She ran to me. "God, Rudy, are you hurt?"

I glared at her. "You just ran over my foot, _saumench_." Is it just me, or was she getting stupider by the _second_?

"Oh god, Rudy, I'm so sorry!"

"Liesel, it's… I'm fine." Just having her near me and worried about me was enough to make me just about die inside.

"Can you walk home?"

"Hell, no!"

"Then you're not fine." She sighed. "Rudy, I'm _so_ sorry. I didn't know your foot was there and-"

"God, shut up!"

"I'm-"

I glared at her.

"Here I'll give you a ride home." She helped me into her car.

My foot didn't hurt much anymore, but I got a free ride! Bonus!

When we were at a stoplight, she eyed me carefully. She seemed so worried.

**

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POV: Liesel

God, I felt horrible.

"Why are you staring at me?" Rudy asked.

"I don't know. You're hurt."

"Thank you, captain obvious."

It was an awkward drive home. Neither one of us said a word.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked when I pulled up into my driveway.

"Yes."

"Can you make it to your house?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

He got out of the car. Before he shutting the door, he said, "You're lucky I love you."

And he left.

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	4. Chapter 4

**the last installment of "gently growing". ENJOY!

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POV: Liesel

_Liesel, thank you for… for everything. For being my friend when no one else would, for never leaving me there alone, and most importantly: giving me something to never give up on – you._

I had found this note in my locker. It didn't say who it was from, but I could recognize Rudy's chicken-scratch anywhere. When I saw my name etched at the top, I was ready for a sarcastic note about me only _owing_ him that ride after I smashed his foot. _This_ was completely unexpected.

_I just want to say that of all the mistakes I made, you made up for all of them. You're the only one I can see my future with._

God, Rudy was just so… so… sweet.

"Liesel!"

I quickly shoved the note into my pocket as Trudy approached me. "What do you want?" I asked her.

"What? I can't hang out with my best friend?"

I sighed. "You're not my best friend, Trudy."

"Then I'm your close friend."

"You're not even my friend!"

Trudy had no friends. She was always getting hurt, had a high-pitched and whiney voice, was a know-it-all, and never let you forget it. Before I met her, I thought Rudy was the most annoying human being on the planet. Trudy proved me wrong.

She just stopped walking in the middle of the hallway, a hurt look on her face. "I… I thought we were…"

"No, we're not."

_**

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**_

I didn't get to look at the note until the end of the school day.

Sitting on a bench outside the building, the sun hid behind some clouds. I pulled out the note and picked up my reading where I had left off.

_I try seeing beauty in other girls, but there's none like yours. You're one of a kind, Liesel, and I love you for that._

Seeing that it would probably rain soon, I got up and started to walk home. I wouldn't miss the note. My house was only 5 blocks away.

I flopped down on my bed and took out the note again. I was gonna finish it this time.

_People say that you're too beautiful to be with. They're just jealous that they can't radiate your beauty. Liesel… there's no such thing as being too beautiful, especially in your case._

_Ever since we met, my love for you has been gently growing. Now, I love you more than life itself, even if I get pissed at you sometimes. You're all I've even wanted. Really, you are._

God.

_Well, now that I've confessed my love to you, you should probably hold this note farther away so you don't smear it with your tears. Remember, I'm right across the street for when you finally want to talk._

_-Rudy_

That _saukerl_. That son-of-a… why'd he have to get detention _again_?

I ran outside and into the pouring rain, not even bothering to put shoes on. "Rudy!" I yelled. I ran up and down the street, not knowing which way he would come home.

Turning a corner, I saw Rudy running from tree-to-tree, trying to stay dry. "Rudy!"

He looked up, saw me, but obviously didn't recognize me from the distance.

"Rudy, you _saukerl_!" I yelled, and started running towards him.

Oh, he knew who I was, now. He dropped his bag and ran towards me, too. "Liesel, what is it?"

"You fucking _saukerl_!" When I got to him, I pounded his chest with my fists.

"What'd I do?"

I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him, standing on my toes because he was so tall. "I love you so much, Rudy."

"Oh, I see." He put his arms around me in return.

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POV: Rudy

Finally!

I held her close to me. The only girl I'd ever loved, and probably will ever love, was so close to me. I loved it.

A couple girls started playing in the puddles across the street.

"There are people watching," I said quietly.

"So? Just do whatever you want to do."

An idea popped in my mind. "What should I do? Kiss you?"

To my surprise, she nodded.

So I slowly lowered my lips down to hers.

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**R&R!**


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